


Two Theories for the Invisible Lift

by silver_penny



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Torchwood
Genre: Gen, Invisible Lift (Torchwood), Season/Series 01, perception filter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28180824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_penny/pseuds/silver_penny
Summary: "Don't people fall in?"No one ever answered Gwen's question. Over lunch one day, the team discusses their invisible lift.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	Two Theories for the Invisible Lift

“Wait,” Gwen said, spinning her chair around to face the rest of the team where they’re scattered around the main Hub with their takeout. “No one ever answered my question. How do we keep people from falling into the invisible lift?”

“It’s a perception filter,” Tosh said, tilting her head to the side. “Didn’t Jack go over the ropes with you when you started?”

“Yeah, he said that,” Gwen frowned. “But it’s…it just changes peoples’ perception of what’s already there, right?”

“That is what perception filter means,” Owen drawled.

Gwen groaned. “It’s a lift!” she said. “How does it keep people falling down the lift shaft?”

They blinked at her. “Isn’t there a second panel?” Owen asked. “Underneath the lift.”

“No,” Tosh muttered, staring up at it. “There’s not. It’s…” She trailed off in favour of turning back to her computer and typing rapidly, presumably going for some kind of Hub schematics. Ianto cleared his throat.

“It’s alien technology,” he said. “Or at least from far enough in the future that we can’t replicate it ourselves. But the current theory is that the perception part includes some kind of subliminal messaging – people just aren’t inclined to step on the lift when the lift – well, when it isn’t there.”

They considered that for a moment. Owen shuddered. “That’s just weird, it is,” he said. “Reaching out and messing with everyone’s heads.”

“Not weirder than all the stuff in here,” Gwen pointed out.

“Yeah, but this is Torchwood proper, down here. Weird stuff’s our business.”

“There is only one stone,” Tosh interrupted, peering at her computer screen and then spinning back around to stare up at it. “There’s no explanation given.”

Gwen was just about to give it up for a loss when the entrance alarm went off. “Jack!” she yelled over her shoulder. “Jack, we’ve got a question!”

“You’ve got a question,” Owen muttered. “Can’t let the alien technology to its job.”

“Jack,” she said, tilting back slightly to where he was standing by the stairs, hands full of some alien doodad he’d been playing with all day. “How does the perception filter work?”

He blinked. “I told you,” he said. “It makes people perceive –“

“No, no, I know that,” Gwen said impatiently, sitting back up in her chair and turning around to face him properly. Serious questions required serious confrontation. “How does it keep people from falling down the lift shaft? There’s no second stone, we checked.”

Jack stared. “Like I said, it makes people perceive the paving stone is there instead.”

“But when we’re using the lift!” Gwen protested. “It’s wide open.”

“Sure,” Jack said. He glanced around, clearly puzzled, but Tosh and Ianto were staring back, clearly waiting on an answer. Owen was staring intently into his lo mein and pretending not to listen. Jack sighed. “It’s not that complicated?” he said. “People perceive the stone is there, whether or not the lift is in use.”

“It’s a paving stone,” Tosh said, before Gwen could get worked up again. “How come they don’t walk across it when it’s open? Ianto suggested subliminal messaging…?”

Jack frowned. “Of course they walk across it. It’s a paving stone. That’s what it’s for.”

Gwen’s turn again. “But the stone isn’t there!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jack said. He was slowing down his words as if he were speaking to a room full of children, but Gwen was too keyed up to really care. “Because it’s a perception filter.”

Tosh dropped her chopsticks.

“They perceive the paving stone is there anyway,” Jack said.

Gwen stared, and he was halfway up the staircase before she could put a sentence together. “You mean they just – they’re walking across their _perception_?”

“That is what perception means,” Jacks said, somewhere between bored and amused. “Feel free to yell if you have any more questions about the basic functionings of the Hub.” He shut his office door with a click that echoed against the room’s high walls.

They all stared at each other. Owen had stopped pretending he wasn’t listening and even Ianto looked spooked.

Tosh raised her eyes again to the invisible lift, and Gwen could see the moment she made herself stop considering the possibilities.

“Well!” Gwen said, forcing sunny with everything she had. “Can I grab your rubbish?” She gathered up the empty takeout containers and stepped away from the silence of the main hub. She leant against the wall and breathed.

**Author's Note:**

> As far as I know this is sort of sidestepped in canon, so I thought I'd indulge in an answer. All concrit welcome.


End file.
